The Desert Travellers
Blurb When a food shortage threatens a clan that has taken refuge in an oasis, the leader, Pond Moon, turns to throwing out several cats, in attempts to let the stronger thrive here until the shortage passes, hopefully avoiding the famine. Snake Fang is the first to go. Being exiled for 'Reasons too disturbing to speak of' leaving the tom in a brief confusion, before others are thrown out of the oasis in the same day. Welcome, readers, to the journey of The Desert Travellers. Oasis Cats Traditions Aside from a few exceptions, such as a cat needing aid, nobody is to go in or out of the oasis. It is the safe spot, and there is no need to leave it. Leaders are given the name -Moon, to contradict the scorching sun that they have learned to thrive under. Medicine Cats are given the name -Leaf, to represent their use of the land around them. The leader is always responsible for the naming of kits. The mother may request names for them. Kits must never step foot into the open land of the oasis, until they are apprenticed, this is to prevent them being carried off by a bird of prey. Kits must be One Moon old before being named Allegiances The Oasis Cats Leader Pond Moon- A white tom with swirling grey stripes, green eyes Deputy Fern Seeker- A plain light grey she-cat, blue eyes.(Mentor to Fish' Whiskers) Medicine Cat(s) Slither Leaf- An orange tabby she-cat with black spots, yellow eyes. Free Leaf- A light brown tom with white spots Warriors Whispering Sun- A golden tabby she-cat with white spots Rapid Cloud-A mottled grey and white tom Lapping Willow- A brown dappled she-cat. Her Apprentice, Little Puddle, got thrown out. Moving Shade- A black and white tomcat (Mentor to Rapid Snow) Bright Leaves - A white and ginger she-cat(Mentor to Silent Creek) Wild Bush- A black and grey tomcat Little Mist- A white she-cat with grey flecks down her back Apprentices Rapid Snow- A white she-cat Silent Creek- A quiet ginger tom Fish' Whiskers- a smooth-pelted grey she-cat Queens/Kits Jagged Sun- A yellow tabby she-cat with a white underbelly and chest. Mother to Playing Fern, Old Sky, and Silent Rain Furled Blossom- A calico she-cat, mother to Preying Night and Tiny Flower Elders Whispering Lightning- A black tom with lighter streaks of grey. Silver Bush- A silver tabby fluffy tom. Snake Fang's Exiles Snake Fang - A grey marble tabby top with yellow eyes. Former Warrior for The Oasis Cats Beetle Mask- A dappled brown she-cat with green eyes. Former Warrior for The Oasis Cats. Thrown out with his apprentice: Standing Tree. Little Puddle- A young black tabby she-cat with blue eyes. Former Apprentice for The Oasis Cats. Her mentor, Lapping Willow, stayed with The Oasis Cats. Buzzard Fall- A plain brown tom with a blind eye and ripped ear, yellow eyes. Former Warrior for The Oasis Cats Fancy Vine- A marbled 'black' tabby tom. Brother to Muddy Vine Former Warrior for The Oasis Cas Broken Briar- A reddish-brown tabby she-cat: Sister to Defiant Petal and Alert Flower. Former Warrior for The Oasis Cats Defiant Petal- A brown she-cat: Sister to Broken Briar and Alert Flower. Former Medicine Cat for The Oasis Cats, Formerly called Defiant Leaf. Alert Flower- A reddish-brown she-cat with white paws. Sister to Defiant Petal and Broken Briar. Former Warrior for The Oasis Cats Muddy Vine- A marbled brown tabby tom. Brother to Fancy Vine, Former Warrior for The Oasis Cats Evening Flurry- A golden she-cat with white spots on her body. Former Apprentice for The Oasis Cats Hasty Breeze- A pitch black tom. Former Apprentice for The Oasis Cats. His mentor, Wild Bush, stayed with the Oasis Cats Standing Tree- A brown and white mottled tom. Former Apprentice for The Oasis Cats, thrown out with his mentor: Beetle Mask. Feisty Fire- A ginger tabby tom, brother to Silent Creek, former Apprentice for The Oasis Cats. Thrown out with his mentor:Fancy Vine Chapter I~Leader Snake Fang The sun was high in the sky, burning its gaze down onto the wandering cats. Daring them to step off the greener plants that surrounded the oasis. Personally, Snake Fang didn't think the heat of the sun could beat his boiling anger. Pond Moon had falsely accused him of crimes that he didn't even care to list. Those he thought were friends hadn't dared to intervene. They had instead watched as one by one, cats were listed off for 'horrible schemes' that 'were too horrible to even talk about.' So now here they were, at the edge of the territory they had known for so long. Being forced to wander into the sandy hills of death before them. Snake Fang took a moment to look back. Cats were sitting down, standing up, pacing, sitting back down. Fur bristling, tension crackled in the air. Suspicious eyes darting around the group, as though some were looking for one cat to blame for all this mess. He held in a sigh. Even he was afraid to draw attention to himself, as he had been the first to be named off as a traitor by Pond Moon. It was pretty obvious these cats would try and accuse him of dragging some of them down with him. But the truth was, Snake Fang didn't know what he had done to anger Pond Moon. What any of these cats had done. But someone had to have done something. The tom couldn't see these cats as rogue, he couldn't even see them as strangers. These were still his clanmates, and they were now all leaderless, homeless, and had no safety. The tom took a moment to sit down. What could he say to make anyone feel better? How could he repair the trust shattered by Pond Moon? Snake Fang scanned the clearing once again, his eyes landing on a stray rock. Heated by the desert sun, he gulped, thinking about how painful it would be to try and stand on it. But it was the best thing he had, trying to not bump into anyone. Snake Fang carefully and quietly picked his way through the group of cats. The heat radiating off the stone was enough to make him second guess this decision.